Means for feeding yarns in knitting machines



Nov. 10, 1953 A. SHORTLAND MEANS FOR FEEDING YARNS IN KNITTING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 50, 1951 I Inventor flr/Zar Mari/M Nov. 10, 1953 A. SHORTLAND MEANS FOR FEEDING YARNS IN KNITTING MACHINES 3 Sheets-Shoat 2 Filed April 50, 1951 Inventor a, .i flm Nov. "10, 1953 A. SHORTLAND 2,658,367

MEANS FOR FEEDING YARNS IN KNITTING MACHINES Filed April 30, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ywa /42% Patented Nov. 10, 1953 2,658,367 I MEANS FOR FEEDING YARNS IN KNITTING MACHINES I y Arthur Shortland, Leicester, England, assignor to Mellor Bromley & Co. Limited, Leicester, England, a British company Application April 30, l951fSerialNof223,68; f

Claims priority, application Great Britain May 9, 1950 6 Claims. (01.. 66- 132) This invention relates to means for feeding yarns in knitting machines, and has for its object to provide improved, simply constructed and efficient means for this purpose adapted so to control the feeding of a yarn from a wound package, such as a bobbin, cone or the like to the needles or a knitting machine as to maintain such feed at substantially constant tension.

.According to this invention, there are provided for feeding a' yarn to the needles of a knitting machine, a feed wheel or roller adapted to be driven at a higher peripheral speed than the linear speed of the yarn, and an associated pair of relatively movable guides for the yarn so arranged as to enable the latter to be lapped around the periphery of the feedwheel or roller;

The relatively movable yarn guides are adapted to be influenced by the tension on the running yarn, the idea being that on an increase of tension, between the wound package and the feed point to the needles, the yarn guides are caused to move relative to each other suchwise as to lap more of the yarn around the periphery of the feedwheel or roller, thereby increasing the rate of feed and, as a consequence, neutralizing the pull on the yarn and assisting to maintain the yarn fed to the needles at substantially constant tension. Conversely, if less yarn is taken by the needles so that it slackens between the feeder and the feedwheel or roller, as, for example, when patterned fabric is being produced, the appropriate yarn guide is allowed to move in a direction away from the companion guide with the result that the yarn will be lapped round a smaller portion of the periphery to effect a commensurate decrease in the rate of feed.

Thus, the rotating feedwheel or roller, whilst it serves to feed the yarn towards the needles by frictional engagement therewith, will nevertheless slip relatively to the said yarn by reason of the fact that the wheel or roller is driven at a higherperipheral speed than the linear speed of the fed yarn. It accordingly follows that the longer the length of the yarn actually engaged with the periphery of the driven feedwheel or roller, the greater will be the frictional driving effect and hence the greater the rate of feed. Conversely, the shorter the length of yarn at any moment lapped around the periphery of the feedwheel or roller, the less will be the frictional driving effect and commensurately less the rate of feed. It is upon this simple principle that the improved means for controlling the feeding of yarns in knitting machines are based.

A constructional form of yarn feed control unit 2 constituting an example of the invention as applied to a circular knitting machine of the cylinder and dial type will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective viewof the yarn feed control unit and the means for driving the same, this figure showingthe approximate position of the yarn around the feedwheel when the tension in the fed yarn is normal, v

Figure 2 1s a similar perspective view of the said unit per se, showing the approximate position of the yarn around the feedwheel when the tension in the yarn is abnormal, and

v Figure3is an elevational view of so much of a multi feeder circular knitting machine of the cylinder and dial type asis necessary to illustrate thetapplication thereto or such yarn feed control um s.

Like parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout the drawings. t

In the illustrated unit there is provided a spoollike feedwheelF comprising a barrel or drum I or comparatively small axial dimension and with a flanged rim2 at each end thereof. The body of the barrel or drum l is tapered somewhat and has a smooth I periphery. rigidly secured upon a shaft 3 which is mounted in a bearing 4 in a bracket 5 bolted to the top of a ring 6 (Figure 3) covering the housing 1 of the conventional gear 8. serving to drive the rotary dial of the machine. The bracket 5 may, however, be secured upon any other appropriate fixed supportpreferab1y located below the bobbin carrier 9 or super-structure of the machine. The shaft 3 is adapted to be driven at a comparatively high speed from the dial driving gear 8, through the medium of anysuitable gearing. Thus, for instance, and as shown in Figures 1 and 3, a bevel gear I 0 on, the shaft 3 may be arranged in mesh with a bevel gear ll provided upon the upper end of a vertical spindle 12 to the lower end of which latter is secured a spur pinion l3 meshing with the dial driving gear a. The bearing for spindle I2 is provided in the ring 6.

Arranged beneath the feedwheel F, in alignment with'the end of the barrel 'or drum I of larger diameter, is a'lower yarn guide 14 consistmg of a single, length of Wire the forward end I 411 of whichbesides being bent upwardly in front;

of and'suchwise as to avoid, the feedwheel is formed to secure in position a pot-eye I5.

Towards its rear end, this wire is twisted into the form of -a tubular bearing Hb'whereby the lower yarn guide 14 is fulcrumed upon a pivot IS The feedwheel F is 3 located at the back 01' the feedwheel. The wire, however, extends rearwardly of the pivot to provide a tail Hc adapted for co-operation with a fixed stop ll. Above the feedwheel F there is provided, in alignment with the end 01' the barrel or drum I of smaller diameter an upper yarn guide [8 consisting of a further single length of wire the leading end l8a of which is bent downwardly in front of the feedwheel and formed to secure in position a second pot-eye l9. Towards its rear end the wire of the upper guide is twisted, like the wire of the lower guide, to form a tubular bearing l8b whereby the said upper guide is fulcrumed upon a second pivot 20 located at the back of the feedwheel above the pivot I 6. The upper yarn guide I8, moreover, is upwardly curved to avoid the feedwheel. The wire or the upper pivoted guide l8 extends rearwardly of the pivot 20 to provide a tail l8c upon the outer end of which is secured a balance weight 2 I. This weight also constitutes a contact adapted for cooperation with a fixed and suitably curved spring contact 22, the two contact being suitably wired in circuit as at 23 with an electrical stop motion.

The pivots l6 and 20, the stop I1 and the contacts II and 22 may conveniently all be located within a housing combined with the bracket such housings indicated at 5a in Figure 3, have formed therein slots through which the pivoted guides extend.

With the unit in operation, a yarn Y extending upwards and then downwards from a bobbin 24 on the bobbin carrier 9 (Figure 3) passes first through the pot-eye l5 of the lower yarn guide ll, then around the periphery of the tapered barrel or drum, then through the pot-eye IQ of the upper yarn guide I8 and finally downwards to the feeder 25 through which the yarn is fed to the needles. Owing to the fact that the two poteyes I5 and I9 are off-set laterally, i. e. in an axial direction in relation to the feedwheel F, and having regard to the tapered form of the barrel or drum I, not only will the portions of yarn extending through the pot-eyes be maintained apart, but the intermediate portion Y of yarn lapped around the barrel of drum will extend somewhat obliquely thereacross in the form of a partial helix. This not only maintains the spacing of the aforementioned portions of yarn, but also tends to enhance the frictional driving effect of the feedwheel F upon the running yarn Y. When, as depicted in Figure 1, the tension on the yarn from the bobbin 24 and the feed to the needles is normal, the lower guide I is in its lowermost position determined by engagement of its tail Me with the fixed stop l1, whilst the upper yarn guide I0 is positioned with its combined balance weight and contact 2| clear of the fixed electrical contact 22. In these circumstances, the actual length of yarn lapped around the feedwheel is at a minimum. Upon an increase in the tension in the yarn from the bobbin, however, the lower yarn guide II will be drawn upwards as illustrated in Figure 2, thereby moving its tail Mo downwards away from the stop l1, whereas the upper yarn guide It will be drawn downwards against the combined balance weight and contact II. As a consequence, the length of the portion of yarn lapped around the feedwheel will be increased with the result already described.

There may, of course, be more than one feedwheel or roller and associated yarn guides in a single machine. Thus, in a multi-feeder circular lmitting machine there may be a plurality of yarn 4 feed control units of the particular form herein described, one to each feeder, in which instance each of the units may be driven from a common gear.

This is illustrated in Figure 3 in which two units can be seen, these units being driven from the dial driving gear 8. If desired, the yarn teed control units may be driven from a common gear which is separate from, but arranged to rotate together with, the dial driving gear 8.

In an alternative arrangement, there may be a single roller common to a plurality of pairs of yarn guides-one pair to each of two or more feeders.

What I claim then is:

1. In a knitting machine, mechanism for feeding a yarn from a wound package to needles, comprising, in combination, a feedwheel consisting of a tapered drum having a smooth periphery and a flanged rim at each end thereof, means for driving the said feedwheel at a higher peripheral speed than the linear speed oi the yarn, and two yarn guides located at opposite sides of the feedwheel, each of said yarn guides being pivotally mounted at the back of the feedwheel for movement towards and away from each other, the said guides being disposed in line with the ends of the drum 01 larger and smaller diameter respectively so that the operative ends of the guides are oiI-set in an axial direction in relation to the feedwheel and the yarn is enabled to be lapped around the periphery of the feedwheel in such a way that movements of the yarn guides effected by variations in the tension on a the running yarn will cause the length of the said yarn frictionally engaged with the feedwheel to be varied, for the purpose herein specified.

2. In a knitting machine, mechanism for feeding a yarn from a wound package to needles, comprising, in combination, a feedwheel consisting of a tapered drum having a smooth periphery and a flanged rim at each end thereof, means for driving the said feedwheel at a higher peripheral speed than the linear speed of the yarn, a yarn guide disposed beneath that end of the tapered drum of larger diameter, the forward end of the said guide besides extending upwardly in front of and suchwise to avoid the feedwheel being provided with an eye, a pivot at the back of said feedwheel upon which the said guide is tulcrumed, a fixed stop for co-operation with a tail on the guide, a second yarn guide which arranged above that end of the drum of smaller diameter and is upwardly shaped to avoid the feedwheel and has its leading end extending downwardly in front of the latter where it is provided with an eye, a further pivot at the back of said feedwheel upon which the second yarn guide is fulcrumed, and a weight which is fitted to the second guide at the side of the said further pivot remote from the eye of the second guide, the two guides being thereby pivotally mounted at opposite sides of the feedwheel for movement towards and away from each other and enabling the yarn to be lapped around the periphery of the feedwheel whereby movements of the yarn guides eifected by variations in the tension on the running yarn will cause the length of the said yarn frictionally engaged with the feedwheel to be varied, for the purpose herein specified.

3. Yarn feeding mechanism according to claim 2, which includes a fixed contact in the circuit of an electrical stop motion and wherein the weight also constitutes an electrical contact adapted for co-operation in an emergency with the fixed contact.

4. In a knitting machine, mechanism for feeding a yarn from a wound package to needles, comprising, in combination, a feedwheel defined by a tapered drum having a smooth periphery and a flanged rim at each end thereof, means for driving the feedwheel at a higher peripheral speed than the linear speed of the yarn, and two yarn guides located at opposite sides of the feedwheel, each yarn guide being pivotally mounted intermediate the ends thereof adjacent to the feedwheel whereby the yarn guides may have movement toward and away from each other, the yarn guides being disposed in line with the ends of the drum of larger and smaller diameter respectively so that the operative ends of the guides are oil-set in an axial direction in relation to the feedwheel and the yarn is enabled to be lapped around the periphery of the feedwheel in such a way that movements of the yarn guides effected by variations in the tension on the running yarn will cause the length of the said yarn frictionally engaged with the feedwheel to be varied, for the purpose specified.

5. In a knitting machine, mechanism for feeding a yarn from a wound package to needles, comprising, in combination, a feedwheel consisting of a drum, means for driving the feedwheel at a higher peripheral speed than the linear speed of the yarn, and two yarn guides located at opposite sides of, and pivotally mounted intermediate the ends thereof adjacent to the feedwheel whereby the guides may have movement towards and away from each other, the operative ends of the said guides being off-set in an axial direction in relation to the feedwheel and the yarn being thereby enabled to be lapped around the periphery of the feedwheel in such a way that movements of the yarn guides eflected by variations in the tension on the running yarn 6 will cause the length of the said yarn frictionally engaged with the feedwheel to be varied, for the purpose herein specified.

6. A circular knitting machine of the cylinder and dial type which includes, in combination, a support for a wound package of yarn, a dial, rotary gear for driving the said dial, a feedwheel for feeding yarn from the wound package to needles in the cylinder and dial, said ieedwheel consisting of a tapered drum having a smooth periphery and a flanged rim at each end thereof, gearing for transmitting a drive from the dial driving gear to the said feedwheel so that the latter is driven at a higher peripheral speed than the linear speed of the yarn, and two yarn guides located at opposite sides of the feedwheel, each guide being pivotally mounted at the back of said feedwheel for movement towards and away from each other, the said guides being disposed in line with the ends of the drum of larger and smaller diameter respectively so that the operative ends of the guides are off-set in an axial direction in relation to the feedwheel and the yarn is enabled to be lapped around the periphery of the feedwheel in such a way that movements of the yarn guides effected by variations in the tension on the running yarn will cause the length of the said yarn frictionally engaged with the feedwheel to be varied, for the purpose herein specified.

ARTHUR SHORTLAND.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,977,686 Mayer Oct. 23, 1934 2,399,403 St. Pierre Apr. 30, 1946 2,441,118 Boucraut May 4, 1948 2,537,000 Stibbe et a1. Jan. 2, 1951 2,539,527 St. Pierre Jan. 30, 1951 2,561,175 Brown July 17, 1951 

